Reviews by ediaz:

More User Reviews:

I have sampled this beer a few times in the past,today with a whole bottle I felt it right to review.Poured into an imperial pint glass a deep dar brown with ruby highlights thru the whole glass,a tight one finger lighter mocha colored head atop.A great mix od deep cocoa and dark fruit in the nose,a bit of earth shows thru as well,the cocoa really stands out well.This is a big American porter with its big earthy and roasty tones,the chocolate flavors are of the dark bitter variety,the dark fruit flavors keep just enough sweetness to hold up to the brash roasty flavors.I really like this Baltic porter(one of my favorite styles),its brash and I want more.

Nearly pitch black, has some tiny color showing through the edge but its close enough. Tan colored head, half inch on the pour but reduced to a scumy layer on the top.

Smell is dark and roasty. Not quite charred malts but very roasted, lots of black coffee as well. A bit of smokiness shows through as well. Overall quite robust, pretty nice.

Taste is again dark and roasty, coffee again with some dark chocolate. A bit of bitterness finishes it out. Has a touch of lactic acid type flavor to it as well.

Really good mouthfeel in my opinion. Nearly full bodied, creamy and slick on the tongue. Sticks everywhere and the flavor really lingers and never quits. Good drinkability with its dark robust flavor and creamy mouthfeel. Good stuff, glad I picked it up while out in Colorado.

The Nefarious Ten Pin Imperial Porter was packaged in a 22 oz that was sealed with wax. It poured a dark black with a creamy brown head that went to a thin layer and left some lacing. The aroma is of sweetish chocolate malts with a touch of coffee and vanilla. The taste is roasted chocolate malts (somewhat sweetened with vanilla) up front with a late bitter, slightly alcoholic, finish. It had a creamy, full mouthfeel. A nice smooth drinking porter. It's similar to the regular Ten Pin from what I remember. I think I like this slightly better.

Received this from absolutesites and has been in my cellar for just about a year.
Black in color with very little light passing thru the very edges....a half a finger of off white head and very little lacing with a hand washed snifter.
Cocoa, bready nose, and some roasted malt.
The taste is enjoyable enough...plenty of chocolate, very little coffee, some sweet malt in the finish and a small amount of bitterness as well.
Mouthfeel is slightly above average and the carbonation is right for the style.
Goes down very easy...alcohol is totally hidden so this one could sneak up on you at 8%.
Very much in line with what I'd expect from this one...definitely delivers a comparable taste to others like Southampton and Gonzo.
Ska is on my list of places to visit...call it my 5 year plan.

Pours dark brown with a tan head. The aroma is roasted malt, with some chocolate and some smoke in there as well. The flavor is a mix of chocolate, coffee, roasted malts and smoke. Medium mouthfeel and low carbonation.

This was the second time I tried this beer and it was smokier this time than it was last time. Not sure which version I liked better, but they were definitely different although both were good.

I hate the wax-top bottle, but won't hold it against the beer. Clear brown-black pour with a short off-white head. Strong roasted malt and cocoa aroma. Blend of the same with a strong hop profile. Somewhat out of balance, but got better as it warmed. Never found the bing cherry, but the coffee, smoke, and cream flavors were nicely woven into the beer. Smooth, wtih a bitter finish.

Taste, chewy, bitter, boozy. Lots of caramel and almost a syrupy presence to it, seems to have a varied set of hops along with it. Creamy at times. Chocolate malt, plum feel to it. Good roast. Small amount of coffee to it. Tiny wood flavor.

A little pricey at nearly $10, didn't feel like a big ripoff, but at the price, isn't making me clamor for another bottle.

Pours black with a half-finger light brown head. The head recedes into a wispy layer on top leaving decent lacing.

Smells of sweet molasses with a good deal of dark chocolate and roasted malts.

Tastes similar to how it smells. Lots of sweet malt flavors with a black molasses lean up front. Midway through the sip a good deal of dark chocolate flavors make their way out and a slight roasted flavor enters into things before a sweet and bitter ending.

Mouthfeel is good. It's got a solid thickness with soft carbonation.

Drinkability is good. I didn't have a problem finishing the bottle and could possibly have another.

Overall this was a solid beer but I thought it was too much on the sweet side with not enough complexity. Worth a shot, though I wouldn't go out of my way.

A-This beer pours a deep black with faint hints of brown and a head that is so dark brown it has an auburn hint to it before it fades. A few small bubbles cling to the side but the carbonation looks very gentle.

S- Very fresh deep roasted grain and a slight sweetness. Some hints of licorice, port, and toffee with some brown sugar molasses in the background. It is a very fresh and smooth complex smell.

T- A very clean smooth taste but still complex aswell. Roasted grain and some toasted grain aswell but not astringent or harsh. Hints of dried fruit and some oak notes balanced with caramel and molasses. The finish is very faint on the hops and a hint more of dark fruit.

M-medium-full body with a nice smoothness. No alcohol warmth or astringency.

D- This is my first brew from Ska and I'm very impressed. This beer has lots of complexity and its all about the dark flavors. The hops are just for support and the alcohol is also. Good complexity and great flavor with a exceptional aroma.

Poured from the 1 pint 6 oz. bottle about an inch above the glass gives you a good 2 inch light brown head above a clear dark brown almost bordering on black colored porter. The head slowly recedes into a pretty healthy lacing with some staying power.

The aroma and taste are very similar with a complex dark roasted malt with a hint of alcohol on top of it. Dark roasted chocolate blended with mocha, coffee, dark fruits such a apricots, prunes, maybe dates, maybe even a slight grain coming through also.

This beer leaves a slightly more dark chocolate and slightly dry aftertaste than it has when drinking which was a very added bonus for me.

With a pretty decent body and a nice rich taste on this porter, it's definitely worth recommending it, only draw back is the price at about $7.00 for a bomber.

When I poured this beer all I could think of was Homer Simpson going "mmm, dark beer." I live for beer this dark. It is a deep brown almost black beer with ruby highlights peaking out on the sides. A tan fluffy head rises well and dissipates to a rocky Pangea like structure.

The smell is dark softly roasted grains mixed with coffee and chocolates. Deep in the background is chalky dried fruits like raisins and currants. Not as heavy as I would expect from such a dark brew.

Taste is inline with a Baltic Porter. There are heavy roasted grains leading off followed by a nice sweetness. Some cherries and raisins mixed with dark chocolates and a (singular) coffee bean.

Mouthfeel is very nice, a good smoothness and thin carbonation make a creamy beer. The down side is a slightly salty and chalky fresh milled grain finish. That aftertaste is slightly disappointing and distract from the big malt flavors and the medium bitterness. Still I would buy this one again, it's a good big beer.

Jet black with a very small off white head that disappears very quickly.

Aromas are dark roasted malts, coffee...and a beautiful chocolate.

Taste is surprisingly clean and light like a porter...but with more intense chocolate (bakers) and coffee flavors...almost stout, but still clean fresh and light like a porter. Chocolate with light coffee and a hint of hops as you swallow.

Very refreshing mouthfeel and aftertaste.
Very enjoyable brew. Nothing heavy yet still "imperial"...wonderful.

8% ? No freekin' way...at least I can't find it. Incredibly hidden if it is in there.

Looks very nice. Deep heavy brown topped by a frothy cream head. In the light a red glow appears around the edges. Scattered bits of creamy lace cling to the glass. Smells thick with maple syrup, cocoa, cherries, sugary and creamy caramel, with coffee and milk. Taste is smooth and extensive. All of the above scents form together nicely as flavors. Nice slight roastiness all over. The fruitiness balances the sweetness and there is a nice milky thing going on. Smooth and velvety in the mouth and good body. Really drinkable. It floats its way down soft and smoothly.

Cap pops and the neck fills with foam but doesn't quite overflow. Poured from a wax-dipped 22oz. bottle in the sam adams glass. It's a very dark brown with light passing through only the very edges. Lots of foamy bone colored head that lingers.

Smell is a little off and may have been oxidized.

Taste is roasty and chocolately but, again, the flavor is a little off. Slight sherry tinge.

Mouthfeel is average and it's only drinkable but not all that enjoyable.

Overall, disappointing. I recently brewed a baltic porter and actually prefer it. The reason I picked this up originally was to get a benchmark for my homebrew but I didn't get around to trying it until now. Maybe that was a good thing!